Obama calls Mideast leaders, pledges engagement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama phoned leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday to promise that he will actively engage on Arab-Israeli peace efforts, the White House said.

"He used this opportunity on his first day in office to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term, and to express his hope for their continued cooperation and leadership," spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan, Matt Spetalnick and Jeff Mason, Editing by Sandra Maler)